Monday, December 23, 2013

I am so excited for Christmas this year. It's the first year without my Grandma, which is definitely going to be different, but we are having it at her house, which will be such a great way to remember her.

I am working today and tomorrow, picking up my brother and his girlfriend, and driving down to the coast to be with everyone.

Mr. OU and I exchanged big gifts last night, just to have a nice date-like Christmas, and he spoiled me with a new Kindle Fire, which I love. I gave him a digital camera to replace the one that broke on our trip to Disney World last January.

Speaking of Disney, we are currently talking about our Honeymoon, and it looks like we are leaning toward a SoCal Amusement Park trip. Initially, we wanted to go to Ireland, and still do, but it's just so darned expensive. I put together a SoCal trip for a week, with 3 parks, and 3 days at Disneyland for just around $2000. Airfare included. We had so much fun last winter, that it just seems like a wonderful vacation.However, if any of my readers have recommendations, I am all ears!

Monday, December 9, 2013

I love Christmas!! I'm not sure you could have gathered this from previous posts... I do though. It's been so great listening to Carols on the radio (106.9, my Seattle friends!), decorating the house, and saying "Happy Holidays" to all of my guest interactions at work. People are nicer, the weather is cooler (29 Degrees, burrr), and everything sparkles.

I had plans all week last week to get my Christmas tree on Saturday, and I was really looking forward to it. I grew up in Nevada, and we have only really had artificial trees... for practical reasons. This year Mr. OC insisted we go to a "U-Cut" farm to get a real tree. I was so excited. He knows his way around a saw, and is used to the fresh tree thing, so what could go wrong, right?

I got sick on Friday.

I mean, disgusting, dripping, sneezing, awful sick.

Saturday morning I woke up raring to go! "Woo, lebs do dis".... (that's what I sound like when I am sick). I was met with some resistance. "No, honey, let's go tomorrow, when you feel better". "No! I neeb my Christmas tree! We are so Scroogy ib our houbs."..... this went on and on until:

The stuffy nose voice always wins.

So, I may still be disgusting today, but it's so jolly in our house that I call it a win!

Worth it.

While we are talking about Christmas, here is a nifty make ahead recipe that I made a few years back:

They are really yummy, but can be heavy first thing in the morning. My recommendation would be to have your first cup of coffee a while before, so your stomach is ready for the full meal that this little muffin turns out to be.

Of course, if you're anything like me, you're useless without that first cup anyway!

Friday, December 6, 2013

Turkey day has come and gone, and I didn't really follow up on my promise to do the weekly "I am thankful for...", but I will say this:

I am thankful for a juicy turkey two years running!
- This year I put a few small pads of butter under the skin, with a thyme-rosemary rub. I "stuffed" it with a quartered onion, and orange, and salted the skin. Roasted for 20 min per pound, and viola! Beautiful.

I am thankful for a harmonious gathering of some of the most important people in the world to me. It's a rare occasion anymore for all of us to be in one place, and I was so happy to be able to host them.

I am thankful for my health. This is a hard thing for me to say, because I have had some struggles this year. I got news on Wednesday that I have pre-cancer, and I am going to need a minor surgery. It's pretty terrifying, but it could be a lot worse. I don't have cancer, and if these cells weren't found, I would have. I am thankful that I have people that are taking care of me, and I know that no matter how scary this gets, I am fully supported by everyone in my life.

I am very thankful.

I am also thankful that I have friends that are so generous. Last night I was able to attend a charity event called Child's Play. It was a really amazing black-tie event, and I had the most amazing night. If it wasn't for very dear friends of mine donating their tickets to us, I would not have been able to go. Thank you Amanda and Andrew.

One last thing. My Grandmother on my dad's side passed away Wednesday night. It was very sudden. She was a very loving and kind woman, and will be dearly missed.

It has been an intense and long week, but all we can do from these experiences is grow. It's times like these where we have to change our perspective in order to survive. The last few years of my life I have said goodbye to four of my family members, and I have watched my own body begin to mutate. It's a fairly dramatic way to put it, but I like to think of my self as an X-Man now, I mean I've earned my patch.